Ranma 12: A Chance Encounter
by Yamato Sora
Summary: Having come to Jusenkyo in search of his rival, Ryoga Hibiki narrowly avoids falling to his death when a strange girl pulls him to safety. A strange girl chasing a panda.
1. Chapter 1

Characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi

In pursuit of his rival, Ryoga would have followed Ranma to the ends of the earth, but ultimately his journey led him here. The man emerged from the tree line, his eyes dark with determination, his face weathered and rough, eager to get his bearings, to study the lay of the land. In that moment, Ryoga realized that he never fully appreciated his sense of direction, or lack thereof. In fact, he hated it. Because of this, his curse, very rarely could he find where he was going, and it always seemed to lead him into trouble.

Almost casually, in spite of his growing frustration, Ryoga untied the bandanna from his hair, letting the long strands fall past his shoulders, and with it, wiped the sweat from his brow. Standing at the precipice, Ryoga heaved an involuntary sigh. The sight before him, however spectacular, served only to remind him of his curse because, after all, he had arrived here only by accident. Despite Ryoga's upset at having lost Ranma again, he was quick to remind himself that without his atrocious sense of direction, he might never have found this place, and it was truly a sight to behold. From this high vantage point, he could see the whole world around him. Only the vast mountains far off on the horizon limited his view. Directly below him were many pools, or springs of tranquil blue water, each of them inviting.

Ryoga was just about to attempt to make his way carefully down to them, with hopes of easing some of his weariness, when suddenly he heard something crashing through the underbrush behind him, and it sounded like something big. He turned just in time to see a bear, a panda no less, coming straight at him. No sooner had the threat registered in his mind, then reflex took over. Without fully realizing he had, Ryoga dove swiftly to the side of the charging bear, surprised and relieved that the animal hadn't attempted to molest him further. Unfortunately for Ryoga, he realized too late that he was still in the path of a second oncoming figure, and she, in her carelessness, nearly swept him from the cliff top. Ryoga feared he would fall, and tried frantically to grab hold of the cliff's edge, anything to keep from falling, when suddenly a hand caught his own. Ryoga looked up to see the face of the girl that had nearly killed him a second earlier. Judging by the grit of her teeth, the strain of her face, it must have been difficult for her to lift him to safety, but she managed, and soon he was back on solid ground.

Ryoga was taken aback by her at first, as the realization dawned on him that he had just been saved by a girl. Admittedly, such a turn of events proved a slight shock to his masculine pride, as he had always imagined saving damsels, never had it occurred to Ryoga that someday a woman would save him. But, he was careful to keep his pride to himself. He didn't want her to think him ungrateful, when nothing could be further from the truth.

"And what a woman she is," Ryoga thought. Judging by her appearance, he guessed that his rescuer was an irrepressible tomboy, whose father had finally given in to her desire to practice martial arts. He knew not what fighting style she practiced, but she was strong, and her figure, clothed in a white keikogi, looked the part. Then, realizing he was staring at the curve of her breasts, which were partially exposed by the opening in her shirt, Ryoga felt a sudden shame and looked away. The girl, on the other hand, was seemingly oblivious of her apparent lack of modesty, as well as to any embarrassment he felt caused by that lack.

"Baka!" she yelled at him sharply, "What were you doing so near the edge like that? You could have been killed! Or worse, you might've landed in a spring!"

Upon her initial reproach, Ryoga felt himself go red in the face. What audacity she had, speaking to him in such a forceful manner, and starting with an insult no less.

"Me?! I was minding my own business! It's you who almost killed me!"

His acknowledgement of this fact affected her somehow, it seemed to still her anger, and she became suddenly withdrawn. "I know," she replied simply, almost sadly. It's my fault. I should've watched where I was going. Instead, I almost got you killed. I'm sorry."

She sat down heavily, seemingly exhausted, upon the grass. Then, without warning, she put her face in her hands, and cried. Ryoga himself was astounded by the sudden change in her demeanor. Just seconds ago, the girl had been enraged. Now, she was in tears, showing him a completely different side of her personality. Seeing her like this, he could not help but wonder what had befallen her, to cause such a change in her. "Something tragic, surely," he thought, suddenly compelled to offer her assistance in any way he could.

"What happened? What's wrong?" he asked. She looked at him then, tears rolling lazily down her cheeks, and for the briefest instant Ryoga thought he recognized her somehow. Something about her face, and especially the look in her eyes, seemed very familiar to him.

"I can't tell you," she replied, her voice fraught with panic. "Even if I did, there's nothing you could do to help me!"

Then, as if to herself, she implored, "Oh God, what will I do now? My life's ruined! Ruined, destroyed, finished! This body changes everything!"

"What do you mean?" Ryoga asked, "It seems like a very nice body to me. In fact, if I may be so bold, I'd say you are a very fit, very lovely young woman."

She scowled at that remark, and again, he saw that look in her eyes, that look so familiar. But, try as he might, Ryoga was unable to place where he had seen that look before. "Who are you calling a woman?!" she exclaimed, I'm a g--!"

She stopped herself just short of saying it, and her face turned a bright shade of red, as if embarrassed by it. Finally, she said, "Never mind," and would say no more.

She glanced up at him after a while, a look of vague annoyance in her dark eyes, and asked, "Are you still here? I've already said there's nothing you can do to help me."

Ryoga was very passionate in his response. "But I must help you," he said, "or at least try. It's the very least I can do for you in exchange for saving my life!"

He was happy to see her smile finally, though whether it was an expression of gladness or sheer exasperation, he knew not. At last, she relented, and asked him, almost hesitantly, "I don't suppose I have any other choice in the matter?"

In answer to her question, he smiled at her good naturedly, and replied. "Nope, my honor won't allow me to settle for anything less."

Finally, she shrugged, as if admitting defeat, and said, "Fine. If helping me means so much to you, you can stay, though I fear my condition may be incurable."

"Condition?" he asked, suddenly worried, "Are you sick?"

She nodded glumly. "Though you might not think so, just looking at me, this face and this body," as she spoke, she passed her hand, small and dainty, over her face as if to indicate the cause of her sorrow, "are but the symptom of that which ails me."

"I don't understand." Ryoga replied, "Are you saying you're ashamed of the way you look?"

"No! Well, actually, yes I am."

"Why?"

"I just am, okay. I won't say anymore than that, not right now. It's too painful."

"But, if I knew more, I might be able to help." Ryoga offered.

"If you knew more, you might not want to help."

"Enough!" Ryoga said, with enough force to make her jump slightly, "Stop belittling yourself. I said I'd help you, and that's exactly what I will do."

At this critical moment Ryoga realized he'd forgotten something important, and how terribly rude of him to do so. "Miss, I apologize. Here I have already agreed to help you, but you've yet to learn my name, Hibiki Ryoga, at your service."

The girl hesitated for a moment. She knew he expected her to give him her name, knew that doing so was right and proper in a situation like this, but the girl knew also that she could not give him her proper name, for fear that he would know her true identity.

Ryoga waited as she thought of a suitable name to call herself. She could sense his growing impatience as she struggled to find the right word, then noticing the trees behind them gave her an idea.

"Wood," she thought, and knew exactly what name to use. She would say it proudly, even if it was just a lie. The irony was that giving him a false name didn't bother her. In fact, it was actually preferable to her real name.

"Kinomoto Ranko," she said finally, and he seemed satisfied. However, "Ranko" was unprepared for what Ryoga did next. He knelt down next to her, and took her hands gently in his. "Ranko san," he said in a hushed voice, "I know not what has become of you, but you have shown me kindness. Therefore, I offer you this solemn pledge: I shall stay by your side, to aid you with your problem, until it is yours no longer. To this end, I give you my word as a martial artist."

Thoroughly embarrassed, yet strangely honored, Ranma could do nothing but accept Ryoga's pledge. Upon hearing it, she couldn't say no, especially not when it meant so much to him, though she worried it sounded too much like a wedding proposal.

"Uh, thank you," she said finally, bowing to him with utmost respect, yet afraid already that he might be falling in love with her.


	2. Chapter 2

Ryoga never expected to meet a girl, especially not in a place as foreboding as this. Nor could he have imagined that one would, quite literally, trip over him. However, that's exactly how he met Ranko. From the moment he saw her, Ryoga knew she was in some kind of trouble, and it wasn't long before he offered to help her. Not only that, he gave her his solemn pledge. He could never remember being as forthright with any woman as he was with her. And, though she was a complete stranger, something about her just made him feel right. Then, the thought occurred to him that maybe he was destined to meet her, and maybe, just maybe, he felt the way he did simply because he was supposed to. If not destiny, what might've fueled Ryoga's decision to help Ranko was simple compassion. He simply could not stand to see a girl cry, and agreeing to help her just seemed the right thing to do.

"Anything to stop her from crying," Ryoga thought. Absently, he studied her sitting there beside him on the grass. He hadn't noticed before, but the keikogi she wore seemed exceedingly large for her small frame. Most notably, the trousers fit far too loosely to have been made in her size, and the sleeves intended for longer arms. He thought her attire gave her an awkward and, however unintentional, comical appearance. He chuckled inwardly, and then chided himself, realizing what bad manners it was to poke fun at someone without their knowing. "Besides," he thought, taking a moment to assess the state of his own clothes, "I, of all people, have no right to criticize her, when mine look just as bad, if not worse."

Then, Ryoga saw Ranko's black hair, pulled back in that single pigtail, and remembered.

"Ranma!" he shouted suddenly, and she nearly jumped into a tree from the shock. He, in turn, could not help chuckling at the severity of her reaction. "I apologize, Ranko san. My passion sometimes gets the better of me. I didn't mean to startle you, but I just remembered someone whom I hate very much. Never fear, as the anger I feel for him is not intended towards you."

"Well, that's a relief." She said jokingly, in an effort to lighten the mood. "I'd sure hate to be on your bad side, Ryoga!" Then, she made an effort to sit nearer to him, and he felt himself blushing as she did so. But, as Ranko tried to get closer to Ryoga, Ranma backed away. He was astounded by the sheer force of his rival's anger, and tried his best to rationalize it.

"Wow," he thought. I never knew Ryoga hated me so much. What could I have done to him to make him so angry?" Then he realized that the only thing shielding him from Ryoga's unfathomable fury was this woman's body, and the fact that Ryoga now thought he was an entirely different person. So, essentially he was hiding, hiding in plain sight. Then, the thought of Ryoga hating him, coupled with his father's selfish manipulation, struck a chord in Ranma as well as in Ranko. Again, she became distant, faced with the cold reality that she had no real friends, and no other relations besides a forgotten mother and a father who made a habit of using her for his own personal gain.

Then, Ranko broke away from Ryoga, and ran into the woods, careful to keep her face hidden from him, as she wasn't about to let him see her crying again. Bad enough he had already seen her cry once. He caught her in a weak moment, and took pity on her. More than anything, Ranko hated that he should feel sorry for her. To be the recipient of his compassion, however well intentioned, made her feel weak. Weakness was something she exploited in those less powerful, less experienced than her, but never had Ranko imagined she'd have to actually deal with it, until now.

Ranko looked down at herself with disgust. She felt like a freak, thanks in part to the cursed spring, but mostly thanks to her stupid father, and his inability to read even the simplest Chinese. As a girl, her strength was considerably diminished. Her arms and legs became shorter. However, given enough time, Ranko was confident she could adapt to any of the disadvantages inherent to this new body. And, if need be, she might even learn to live with it. But, what affected her far worse than the physical shortcomings was the ever present humiliation of being a woman, at the cost of her manhood.

Ranma had prized his manhood above all other things, even his life. He would've never guessed it could be so easily taken away. In fact, up until he fell into that infernal spring, he had not the slightest idea such a curse even existed. Not that Ranma had anything against women. He just never wanted to be one himself.

When Ranko ran away from him, Ryoga considered going after her, but decided not to. Honestly, he was relieved she broke away when she did. Sitting next to her made him realize just how unaccustomed to women he was, and especially not used to a girl being as forward as Ranko seemed to be. Watching her leave, he knew she was crying again, though she tried so hard to hide it from him. And, once again Ryoga felt pity for her. He pitied her reluctance to accept his help, help he would offer gladly, if she would but let him. So far, she had said very little to him about her actual affliction.

Ryoga wondered, "Does she not trust me well enough to tell me what's wrong, even though I promised to help her?" Then, for some reason the word "help" seemed to stick in his mind. He said he would help her, but the word was nonspecific as to how. Then, in a flash of brilliance, Ryoga realized that perhaps one of the best ways to help Ranko san was by becoming her friend. And, from what he'd seen so far, she seemed in desperate need of one, as was he.

It was then that Ranko came back to sit with Ryoga again, some ways apart. And, for the first time, she asked him a truly personal question. She hesitated at first; afraid of the answer he would give. Finally, the words came. Soon as they left her mouth, she knew it was too late to call them back, no matter how much she may have wanted to.

"Ryoga?" she asked, "Why do you hate Ranma?"

Immediately, she regretted ever uttering those words, for the look that appeared upon his face was the meanest expression of silent rage she had ever seen, and that was just from hearing the name Ranma. Words alone could not express the sheer weight of his anger, anger that was, in fact, directed at her, though Ryoga himself didn't know it. Realizing this frightened her, made her sad. And yet, she thought it strangely ironic that this man, so determined to help her, and seeming so gentle and kind, would probably try to kill her if he knew the truth.

Finally, she sighed, while the two of them remained apart.


	3. Chapter 3

"Enough of this sitting around," Ranma said shortly, getting to her feet. "Let's go find my Pop." She led the way along a short path to the cliff's edge. On the opposite side was a ledge approximately four to five feet away, and beyond that a trail that led further up the rocky slope.

"My father went this way. Mind the drop." Without hesitation, she leapt to the ledge as gracefully as a cat, every ounce of power and distance in her jump predetermined to ensure she landed precisely where she wanted to. Another jump, as skillful as the first, and Ranma was back on solid ground.

Then, turning back to Ryoga, she said, "Now you try." The way she said "try" irked him somewhat. He saw how she had taken it upon herself to go first, almost as if she were making a point of showing off to him. Not only did he not appreciate what he perceived as arrogance on her part, a blatant display of her skill, he hated being talked down to. Then, the thought occurred to him that she had issued a challenge, expecting him to follow suit.

Ryoga could not refuse a challenge, no matter how great or how small. This had nothing to do with his vow, though she may have been testing him in order to observe his level of dedication. No, it was a matter of pride. Though already he was starting to like Ranko, Ryoga felt he couldn't lose to her. Losing to her would shame him horribly because not only was she a girl, but also because it would be unbearable for him to lose face in her eyes. Ryoga could feel them watching him, waiting, as he steeled himself for the jump. Then, it happened. One moment, he was standing there silently at the brink, and the next, he was in motion, his momentum thrusting him forward through the air. His feet touched down with a thunderous clap as his body instinctively tucked into a crouch. Another leap and he was standing beside Ranko, precisely where he wanted to be.

The path upon which they stood proceeded further and further up yet another mountain, one which Ranma was determined to climb. And, all along the trail were signs that something had been there before them. Personally, Ryoga thought the markings a tad strange. To him, they looked just like ordinary bear tracks, but in this case, the animal seemed to move on only two legs. To his surprise, the tracks seemed almost manlike in their spacing, something he would not have expected from a bear. However, upon realizing that they were, in fact, bear tracks, he cautioned Ranko against going on.

"Ranko san, wait. We shouldn't be following a bear. What if we were to come across it?"

"That's the point." she replied bluntly.

"What is?"

"Catching the bear," At that moment, Ranma turned to him, placing her hands firmly upon his shoulders, looked him in the eyes. Again, he blushed when she did so. "Look, Ryoga, I don't know any other way to say this so I'll just say it. This will probably come as a shock to you, but this bear we're chasing, well, he's sort of my father." She sighed then, as though admitting this were a mark of great shame.

"You're kidding!"

"No, I'm not. But I think it's best if I go on alone."

"I can't protect you if you're alone."

"Who says I need protecting?"

Eventually, Ryoga relented, agreeing to stay behind and taking Ranko at her word that she would be fine, and that her father was quite harmless, even while in the form of a bear.

So, at long last, Ranma continued on the trail, following the footprints ever closer to their source. She, however, was not chasing her father because she wanted to help him find a cure for his curse. In fact, Ranma doubted she would help him again after what he had done. No, she only pursued him because she wanted to knock some sense into him, punish him proper for his lowly attempt to marry her off to someone she didn't even know, to trouble her with in-laws, when all she wanted to do was live life her own way. And, of course, Pop would put her through this if it meant achieving his own ends.

In the end, so focused was Ranma on her anger, and the thought of making her father pay, that she didn't sense the large bear who crept up behind her. The large bear who attacked Ranma quietly and efficiently, incapacitating its victim with one swift blow to the top of her head, delivered by a very large paw. Then the bear, who was actually Ranma's father, Genma, scooped up the unconscious body of his "daughter," hoisted it over his shoulder, and continued on down the road. The bear was humming a merry tune, the sound of church bells already ringing in his ears.


	4. Chapter 4

Ryoga waited for Ranko to return, and waited and waited. Naturally, after a while, he started to become concerned for her well being. A while after that, he decided to follow her, if only to see if she was alright. And so, he continued on the trail, his every step driven by the courage and the will to go on. His resolve was intensified by his fear that, if he did nothing, something terrible would happen to her. He focused on the trail, thinking nothing of the bear at the end of it. It wasn't that Ryoga didn't fear the bear, when he most certainly did. He just didn't have time to indulge in that fear, not when someone other than himself, someone he cared about, was in danger. As much as Ryoga tried not to dwell on the agonizing uncertainty of Ranko san's situation, he still kicked himself for having let her go on ahead. He should have insisted on staying by her side, but instead he chose to trust her.

Ryoga hadn't known the girl long, not even a day, and already he was beginning to see a pattern in her behavior. On two separate occasions now, she had refused to let him help her in any way. First, she wouldn't tell him what was wrong. Next, she seemed determined to deal with her father on her own, bear or no bear. Her penchant for stubbornness was starting to irritate him. Before, he could understand her reluctance because they were still strangers, and didn't know each other very well. But her willingness to go after a bear, alone, was reckless and stupid, simple as that. Then, it suddenly dawned on him what a strange girl she was. In fact, from what he'd seen of her personality so far, Ryoga might've thought she was a guy if he didn't already know the truth.

As he continued his ascent, higher and higher up the mountain, Ryoga noticed how the air got colder and colder. Then, as if in contradiction to the cooler temperatures, he began to see clusters of hot springs here and there along the path. And, looking upward, Ryoga found more incentive to find Ranko quickly. The sky looked so gloomy and grey, he knew there would be rain soon, and he didn't want to be caught out in it. He knew what he wanted didn't matter, however, and in the end, he didn't care about the rain. All he cared about right now was knowing Ranko san would be safe.

Meanwhile, Ranma was slowly coming around. At first, she didn't know where she was, but she did know she was moving. The sensation of movement confused her, made her dizzy. Things became clearer as Ranma felt the sudden twinge of pain in her head, and that softness, so distinct, the touch of panda fur against her skin. Then, with a revelation as sudden as the throbbing at her temple, she remembered everything.

Ryoga's pace quickened soon as he heard the telltale sounds of the girl, wide awake, kicking and screaming against her captor. He arrived just in time to see Ranko, in a most unladylike fashion, bite the bear's arm. Apparently, that was all the encouragement the bear needed to let go of her because just as quickly she was back on solid ground, spitting hair from her mouth.

Ranma hit the dirt, landing on the balls of her feet. From a crouching position, she rolled backwards, eager to put some distance between herself and Genma. Then the two of them squared off.

Ranma, her breath coming in gasps, her eyes dark with rage, all she could say to him was, "You… sneaky!"

Ranma, the look of her father's blank panda face seared into her mind, launched herself straight at him, screaming. She threw two quick punches at that face, both of which were blocked handily. Then, as if this were the last straw, she quite literally kicked Genma to the curb. Except that there was no curb. Undaunted, Ranma chose instead to settle for the nearest hot spring.

She watched triumphantly as he seemed to launch from the sole of her foot, flying backwards into the water with a tremendous splash. Ranma, however, failed to anticipate the magnitude of that splash. She looked away, shielding herself with her arm instinctively just as the steaming sauna overtook her.

"Hot! Hot! Hot! Hot!" she screamed, feeling akin to a drowned rat. Then, Ranma, looking down at herself, realized how certain parts of her anatomy were changed, and that, technically, she was no longer a she, but rather, a he.


	5. Chapter 5

"They're… they're gone!" Ranma cried, looking down at himself in astonishment. His sense of joy was short lived, however, as he quickly realized Ryoga's presence behind him. Suddenly, he was terrified to turn around, to let Ryoga see him as he truly was. But, at the same time, he knew he couldn't possibly continue this charade. He had thought about running, but Ryoga would surely chase him, still believing he was Ranko. There really seemed to be no way out of this situation, except the hard way. And, with that in mind, Ranma turned slowly around to face his rival.

Ryoga saw him; his eyes went wide, his face turned pale. To Ranma, it was obvious he just couldn't believe what he was seeing. He stammered for a long while, as if trying to find the words to properly express his bewilderment. Finally, all Ryoga could say was, "Ranma! How did you…?"

Ranma simply shrugged.

"Ranma! How dare you…!" Ryoga shouted suddenly, trembling, his face going from pale to red. Then, he lifted Ranma up by the collar of his keikogi, ready to clobber him.

"Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait!" Ranma screamed. Seeing the wild look in his opponent's eyes, he feared for his life.

"I believed in that girl!" Ryoga growled through gritted teeth. "I cared for her! Now, I find out she was just a lie, just you, playing this sick joke at my expense!"

"It was an accident!" Ranma exclaimed. "I never meant for this to happen!"

"Shut up! Ranma, I shall never forgive you for breaking my heart!"

"I saved your life, remember?"

Somehow, what Ranma said seemed to get through to him, as the hardness in his eyes seemed to soften ever so slightly. Then, just as quickly, he let Ranma go.

Without another word, Ryoga walked away, slowly back down the mountain, leaving Ranma standing there at the spring. But, just as he turned away, Ranma thought he saw tears in his eyes.

Then, it started to rain, and Ranma was shocked to discover that, just as hot water seemed to change him back into a guy, cold water did the opposite.

So, there she stood, annoyed and disgusted to have felt the joy of being a man again, only to have it stolen from her by the rain. Ironic, Ranma thought suddenly, that she, having never suffered a defeat, could be done in by something as simple as water.

Finally, with a heavy sigh, she went to change her clothes. Drying herself off with a towel, trying to wipe away the humiliation, she reached into her backpack, and pulled out a fresh shirt and pants. While the pants were nothing special, the shirt was one of her favorites, a Chinese-style tunic in a very strong red, a color Ranma thought contrasted nicely with her black hair. However, soon as she put them on, the shirt felt miserable across her chest, and the pants dug painfully at her hips. Nothing fit as comfortably as it used to. And, in the end, nothing, not even fresh clothes, could make her feel better.

"That Ranma..." Ryoga muttered to himself miserably. He was still so angry he couldn't stand even to think of him, angry because he'd been tricked. Angry because, though Ranko turned out to be a fake, the feelings he had felt for her were not. Abruptly, Ryoga wondered if there were more girls like Ranma out there, real girls, who were athletic, tomboyish, and strong.

Meanwhile, unknown to Ryoga, there was just such a girl, complete with keikogi, breaking boards at the Tendo dojo.


End file.
